Nicaraguan test of De La Hoya's declining powers

Nicaraguan test of De La Hoya's declining powers

Friday 5 May 2006 20.25 EDT
First published on Friday 5 May 2006 20.25 EDT

History would suggest an over-inflated ego is a dangerous attribute for an ageing champion and that there is a thin dividing line between self-belief and self-delusion. The list of those who hung on too long, perhaps headed by Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, is long and does not always make comfortable reading.

Oscar De La Hoya, by fighting on past his 33rd birthday having once categorically stated he would not be boxing past 30, is running the risk of being the latest illustrious talent to tarnish evidence of his youthful brilliance when he steps into the ring tonight against the crude but intimidating Nicaraguan Ricardo Mayorga in Las Vegas.

Since winning a gold medal at Barcelona in the 1992 Olympics, the handsome and charismatic De La Hoya has been American boxing's pin-up idol and the Golden Boy has been among the highest earners in sport for more than a decade.

He has won world titles at all weights from superfeatherweight through to middleweight but the stark evidence of recent performances is that De La Hoya is a fighter in decline. It is 20 months since he lost to Bernard Hopkins in a world middleweight title fight, when he was floored by a body shot in the ninth round, prompting some, including Mayorga, to suggest he had quit when it would have been possible to fight on.

Before that, in 2003, he lost on points to Shane Mosley in a light-middleweight title contest and then scored a highly questionable points victory over the German Felix Sturm in another middleweight title fight. "Obviously money plays a part in why fighters keep coming back," said De La Hoya in a moment of reflection. "But it could be they have nothing else to do and miss the limelight."

He successfully moved into the promotional side of the sport but it seems he misses the adrenalin rush of competition.

Mayorga, 32, a former gang leader, is not averse to lighting and smoking a cigarette in the ring after his fights nor swilling a bottle of beer at fight promotions. "I'm from the streets. I don't play with dolls like De La Hoya," he bellowed at one of many staged to drum up interest in this contest. "I hate him so much, I'd fight him for free." That statement proved wide of the mark earlier this week when Mayorga demanded, unsuccessfully, to have his purse increased from $2m (£1.07m) to $8m.

His manager and promoter Don King undoubtedly made Mayorga see sense, not least with the promise of huge pay- days if he can fulfil his promise to knock out the Golden Boy inside six rounds. In his prime De La Hoya would have been favoured to hand Mayorga a boxing lesson, but those days may be gone and the fight could be very much closer than bookies suggest in quoting De La Hoya as the 7-2 on favourite.